Mexican president: Energy regulator has conflict of interest

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has accused previous governments of “striving to twist the neck of the goose that lays the golden egg” for betting on the privatization of Pemex and the CFE, instead of strengthening them. He pledged to ensure that there is no more corruption and privatization. “We want there to be business for the private sector, but that also benefits the public sector, business for the nation,” [CE NoticiasFinancieras, 18 February 2019]. Lopez Obrador says Mexico's independent Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) has a conflict of interest and has called on its head, Guillermo Garcia Alcocer, to resign. He says some officials were “subordinate to a policy of privatization, and maintained relationships with individuals who benefited from contracts in both the Federal Electricity Commission and Petroleos Mexicanos.”